An R.E.M retrospective.....

[Elvis Presley]

with the boys from athens packing their toothbrushes and flipflops for a summer of touring, i thought it'd be nice to give 'em some discussion time here.

i used to be a superfan, so it always perks my interest when they surface again from their film and side-projects to the scene where they left a huge impression.

their influence is great, but how great? they flopped (in warner bros. terms) on everything monster and beyond. (who could even calculate the amount of hideously orange monster cds we've all seen in the used bins. you can't bring them up to the buyback person anymore. that must be his/her first training lesson.) their drummer quit after a near-death experience, and they've always sworn they break-up even if one of them left. peter buck seems more interested in li'l old side projects to get his name dropped from everywhere. they don't even live in same timezones anymore, as revealed in an interview with charlie rose.

so what makes you and charlie rose like them?

which album marks their greatest ability? worst?

what songs from which albums still make you sing along even when you still can't make out what mr. stipe is saying?

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

so what makes you and charlie rose like them?

which album marks their greatest ability? worst?

what songs from which albums still make you sing along even when you still can't make out what mr. stipe is saying?

Greatest ability: Reckoning, Dead Letter Post Office, Automatic, Green.

SOngs to sing along: Fall On Me, So. Central Rain, Superman, Driver 8, Orange Crush, Me In Honey, and of course everyones fave: It's The End Of Interference, & I Feel Fine.

 

[meegannie]

I love the fact that Ed Harcourt is opening for them.

 

[U2Kitten]

I've always been a fan, but never a superfan. I liked them in the 80's. Out of Time is one of the best albums of the 90's. I like the new one too. I've never seen them live or been a collector, but I have always appreciated them.

 

[IWasBored]

murmer. i like the banjo on "i beleive" and a bunch of other songs on life's rich pagent. i like to try to forget about "reveal"...

 

[beegee]

what songs from which albums still make you sing along even when you still can't make out what mr. stipe is saying?

michael stipe is one of the greatest writers ever.
i make it a point to ALWAYS know what he is saying.

nightswimming is my favorite rem song.
followed closely by half a world away and country feedback.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

country feedback is my favourite rem song. i believe is pretty close, as is 'find the river'.

 

[Bono's shades]

I loved pretty much everything they ever did - including the much-reviled Monster - until their last album. What a letdown that was!

 

[browneyedgirl]

Their last album really was a letdown ........
I can forgive almost anything from a band who gave me Driver 8 , I Believe and So. Central Rain......
I saw them live about 13 years ago and if they come anywhere around me this summer I'd very much like to do that again !!

 

[MrBrau1]

It's odd that everyone seem to dislike Reveal. I think "The Lifting" is the best REM song since "Sweetness Follows"

 

[Elvis Presley]

Mr. Brau, everyone does seem to hate Reveal, I like it alot....

Favorite alltime is Automatic for the People
Document is classic
Green and Out of Time turned me onto these guys
Dead Letter Office is also a stellar album

New Adventures is the most underated

 

[Popmartijn]

I became a sorta fan with Automatic For The People (it took me a while to get used to the songs/singles from Out Of Time). However, now they're coming to the Netherlands in June and now I have tickets to their club gig here, I'm getting totally excited. I've never seen them live (the last time they played the Netherlands its was 1989 and I hadn't even heard of them), so I don't know what to expect. But being a club gig I think it's always going to be great!

C ya!

Marty (who will quickly enlarge his REM collection...)

 

[Flaming Friar Sr]

i also like reveal. its certainly not a letdown. i think ol'skeeker will agree on i've been high being a tremendous song

my personal fave has always been document.

my fave sing-a-longs (where possible):

talk about the passion
maps and legends
driver 8
fall on me
finest worksong
world leader pretend
near wild heaven
e-bow the letter
diminished (the only standout track of their least album, up)

 

[pax]

Do I really need to post all the words to "You Are the Everything" again? I think I do that in every R.E.M. thread.

 

[Popmartijn]

Do I really need to post all the words to "You Are the Everything" again? I think I do that in every R.E.M. thread.

No, but that indeed is a very beautiful song. I know because I heard it.

C ya!

Marty

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

I've enjoyed almost every record REM have made, but they're not exactly one of my *favourite* bands, just a really good band that I can almost always rely on to make some good music.